NIA had come over, Max having called her over after Thea had a slight panic about the interview. Nia had hurried over, sat Thea down, and attempted to call her down slightly.
Max explained the situation to her, and she sighed. "Why don't call up Ferrari? Ask if they can move the date?"
Thea stared at her friend in disbelief, "You want me to call up Ferrari and ask them to change my interview date?" she asked, wondering if Nia was crazy.
"Alright it does sound a bit insane, but you don't have to move plane or hotel dates. You're flying out on the 11th right?" Nia asked.
Thea nodded, and started biting the inside of her lip, and picking at her cuticles again. "Yeah."
"Okay, so why don't you ask if you can have the interview on the 12th, and fly back later in the day? You might be a bit jet lagged but, you'll make it." Nia offered.
Thea thought it over, and nodded. "I gotta' try I guess."
She picked up her phone and dialled the number that had called her before. Nia and Max sat in silence as they heard the muffled sounds of the phone ringing.
"Ciao Scuderia Ferrari." It was Cecelia again.
"Hi, yes it's Dorothea James calling, you phoned me not too long ago."
"Ah yes! Is there anything I can help you with Signorina?" Cecelia asked.
Thea looked over at Nia, who nodded. She took a deep breath, "Yeah, I was wondering if, if I could change the date of my interview? I was wondering if I could come in a day earlier if possible."
Her leg began to shake, and Nia placed her hand on her best friend's knee, stopping her rapid movements.
Cecelia was tapping her keyboard on the other line, and Thea bit her lip as she waited for a response. After a while, Cecelia's strong Italian accent sounded. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Binotto is fully booked up until February now, the 13th is the only available spot he had. And we would really need you to start in the January of the new year."
"Okay. That's fine. Thank you for checking. Sorry if I bothered you." Thea said, in a defeated tone.
"Sorry I couldn't help more. If you need anything else just give us a ring and I'll see what I can do."
Thea gave her a small 'Thank you' before she hung up, placing the phone back down. She looked up at Max and Nia, who were looking at her with expectant faces. Thea shook her head defeated.
The couple let out identical sympathetic smiles, and Nia moved over to Thea, wrapping her arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a small hug. "It was worth a try honey."
Max looked at Thea, who was hiding into his girlfriend's side. "DJ, maybe you should tell Lando now. He might appreciate you telling him upfront." he suggested.
Thea turned her head to look at him and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I need to tell him." She suddenly stood up, getting her phone and walking towards the door. She turned around, as she walked backwards. "There's food in the fridge, eat anything. Just don't leave 'cause I'm not bringing my keys."
Before they could say anything, she was out the door, and began to head towards Lando's.
LANDO heard a knock on his door, and stood up from his sofa, turning of the TV that he had been watching. He walked over to the door, unlocking it, smiling down at Thea who was stood in the doorway.
"Hey!" he said, pulling Thea into a hug.
"Hi." Thea said, giving him a half hearted smile, something he didn't notice.
They pulled away from each other and Lando stood aside to let Thea in. "Not that I'm not pleased to see you," he teased, "but what's with the unannounced visit?"
He walked over to her and the pair sat down on his sofa. Thea turned to face him, and he did the same, smiling fondly at her.
Thea gave him a nervous smile, trying to not fold under pressure. "I uh- I've got something to tell you." she said.
"Okay..." Lando said, not knowing where this conversation was going. "What are you pregnant or soemthing?" he exclaimed, a joking smile on his face.
Thea let out a small slightly forced chuckle. "Uh no." she took a deep breath, "I got a interview offer for a photographer job in a Formula One team."
"Thea that's great!" Lando exclaimed. "What team?"
Thea ignored his question, "It's really good money, good experience for me it will mean I'm at all the races 100 percent-"
"That's amazing, what team?" Lando asked again. He noticed Thea was deflecting his question and began to worry.
"I mean, I won't be able to spend as much time with you as I usually do but at least I'll still be-"
"Thea." he interrupted her. She stopped talking, knowing she could avoid the question. Lando looked at her, all the teasing in his face gone. "Thea what team?"
Thea hesitated. "Ferrari." she said tentatively.
"Oh." Lando said, his face dropping.
"Lando-"
"No, no don't-" Lando said, placing his hand on hers, "It's- okay." Thea could tel he was saying this just to make her feel better, and she knew it was really killing him inside. "I'm happy for you." he gave her a smile, one which didn't reach his eyes like usual, but a smile nonetheless. "When your interview?"
The question Thea had been dreading.
"Lando I tried to move it but they said I couldn't." Thea started again, "I rang them up but-"
"Thea stop." Lando said. He looked at Thea's face and he could see her getting emotional. "Stop ignoring the question."
"Look I know-"
"Thea just tell me when the interview is!"
"I can't!" Thea said, wishing she hadn't listened to Max, and was back with Nia.
"Why not?" Lando fired back.
"Because I just can't okay?" Thea said, dropping her head into her hands.
Lando took a hold of her hands with one of his, lifting her head with the other. "Just tell me when it is." he said.
Thea sighed, but gave up. "The 13th of November." she said quietly.
Lando dropped his hand from her face, and from her hands. "Oh." he said again, but Thea could hear his heart shatter this time.
"Um so-" he was avoiding eye contact with her. "So you're not gonna'-" he couldn't finish his sentences.
"Lando-" Thea tried to explain to him, but he stood up from the sofa.
"I've uh- I've got a meeting with Zak in a couple of hours so I think...I think you should go." he said, still not making eye contact with her.
"Lando c'mon please-"
"Thea please just- just go okay?"
Thea stood up walking towards the door, the pair not looking at each other, once she'd left, Lando shut the door, leaning his back against it, covering his mouth stopping the sobs that were screaming inside him.
On the other side of the door, Thea was doing the same, covering her face with her hands, wishing that Mattia Binotto didn't have as many people to talk to as he did.
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the end sequence of this chapter : 😢😭😭🥲
me writing that one sentence: 🎶ALL I NEED IS oON THE OTHER SIIDE OF THE DOOOOR WITH YOUR FACE AND THE BEAUTIFUL EYES AND THE conveRSATION WITH THE LITTLE whitE LIES-🎶